World News in Brief: September 24

* Chinese police have solved more than 33,000 cases involving guns and explosives since a campaign against such crimes was staged across the country in February. * Cuba’s new president, Miguel Diaz-Canel, arrived in New York on Sunday for his first trip to the United States, where he will denounce the decades-old US trade embargo on his country at the UN General Assembly, state-run media reported. * New US sanctions on Russia’s defense sector will not hinder the country’s arms production, Russian Deputy Prime Minister Yuri Borisov said Sunday. * US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said on Sunday (September 23) that President Donald Trump was prepared to meet the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK)’s top leader Kim Jong-un again, hopefully in the “not-too-distant future.” * Macedonia will begin the preparatory work for Macedonia’s European Union (EU) accession negotiation on September 27, Macedonian Deputy Prime Minister for European Affairs Bujar Osmani announced on Sunday. * The Israeli military on Sunday rejected the findings presented by the Russian Defense Ministry which accused the Jewish state of direct responsibility for downing the Russian plane in Syria. * US and Canadian officials trying to reach a deal on NAFTA are “very likely” to hold informal talks on the sidelines of a major UN meeting in the next few days, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said on September 23. * Saudi Arabia’s Energy Minister Khalid Al-Falih on Sunday said no agreement was reached on raising oil production during a meeting in Algiers on… [Read full story]